Love Heals
by Kristen3
Summary: After a bad fall in a parking lot, Daphne comes home and realizes that sometimes love is the greatest medicine of all. One-shot.


**Author's Note: **This came out of a rather painful real-life experience. It didn't take long to realize there was a story in it, and fortunately, I was able to make it much more romantic here than in real life! That's why we love these stories, right? ;)

Daphne was grateful to have her shopping done as she approached the store's automatic doors. Just as she prepared to make her way out into the parking lot, she noticed a sign taped up near the exit. **Please be careful walking in the parking lot. There is a risk of slipping due to ice. Thank you! **The note surprised Daphne. She hadn't noticed any ice when she came in here, but the temperature had apparently dropped since then. Grateful for the warning, Daphne carefully walked through the doors and out of the store.

At first, she didn't notice anything at all. But, after a few steps, she began to realize the sign was absolutely right. More than once, she put her foot down on what she expected to be pavement, only to find herself nearly losing her balance. Luckily, her reflexes were apparently rather good, as she was able to catch herself. So far, so good.

But then, just as Daphne neared her car, it happened. She put her foot down, and immediately knew she was in trouble. There was no time to try to stop herself; the next thing she knew, she was flat on her back. Unfortunately, it was a rather hard landing. The pain in her backside made that quite clear. But, aside from that, it appeared she hadn't been injured. It was embarrassing to have fallen like this, but thankfully, no one was around to see it happen. Daphne knew she couldn't just stay where she was, in the middle of the parking lot, so she got up and carefully walked the last few steps to the car.

She opened the car and put her packages inside. Luckily, she had been clothes shopping today, so her spill hadn't broken any of her purchases. She climbed into the drivers' seat of the car, and was immediately reminded of her earlier hard landing. She shook off the pain and was about to put the car into gear. But when she looked down at her hands, she was surprised to see several small cuts. How had she not noticed those before? In between her knuckles, she saw drops of blood appearing. Once again, this was not a life-threatening injury, so Daphne decided to just go home and tend to her wounds.

Fortunately, the drive home was relatively quick. The walk from her car into the Montana seemed far longer than it ever had before. The pain in her backside made each step difficult. What made it worse was knowing that sitting down would also cause her pain. Somehow, she managed to ride up in the elevator and get home.

"What happened?" Niles asked when he saw his wife enter the apartment. He could tell at once that something was wrong.

"I lost me balance in the parking lot, and I took a bit of a fall. I'll be all right, though."

"Oh, dear God. Let me help you." He went over to her, taking her hands in his. He then noticed the cuts. "You're bleeding. Why didn't you call me?"

"It's nothing, really. I'll be fine."

Niles gently led her over to the couch. "Nonsense. Stay right here while I get something to clean those."

Before Daphne could protest again, he walked off toward the kitchen. A moment later, he returned with a washcloth. Daphne found that she barely felt the sting from the cuts as Niles began using the washcloth to gently remove the blood. When he was done, it was clear that these cuts weren't very deep. But suddenly, Daphne was overwhelmed with love for Niles. His simple caring had done more for her injuries than could be explained by conventional medicine.

"Thank you, darling. I have to admit, falling like that was awfully painful. Not to mention embarrassing. I suppose I'd like to just forget it ever happened, but I don't think me body's going to let me do that."

Niles nodded. "I think you're probably going to be a bit sore for the next couple of days. There's not really anything I can do about that, unfortunately."

"Maybe not, but you've done an awful lot to make me feel better. I'm usually the one taking care of other people, like when David gets hurt. But I love you for being here to make sure that I was all right. I know it was just a few small things, but I really can't thank you enough." She kissed him.

"It was my pleasure," Niles replied as the kiss ended. "I'm just glad this wasn't more serious. I'd hate to think of you being hurt while I wasn't there to help you. You know how much I love you, and how long I've wanted to take care of you. Even the thought of losing you breaks my heart."

Once again, Daphne felt a rush of love for him. Over the years, Niles had been there for her so many times. Even before she had any idea of his feelings, she would often turn to him when she needed to vent, or just wanted some company. Back then she'd had no idea she would ever end up here. It was as if her life had become a fairytale, with an ending she never would've believed possible. These thoughts led Daphne to a conclusion which was so obvious, she couldn't believe she hadn't realized it sooner. Love has a way of making something beautiful out of even the most ordinary events. Yes, Daphne was definitely a very lucky woman.

**The End**


End file.
